Ethiopia Chelbesa Danche Espresso 250G

About this lot:

Hydro honey?
It’s an innovative process from the famed Danche station that creates a uniquely sweet and juicy profile. We chose it for its wild and unforgettable character — a mind-bending brew of grape candy, tropical papaya, and rich, fudgy brownie.

About origin:

In the renowned coffee lands of Chelbesa Danche Station is more than just a processing site—it’s the epicenter of innovation. This is the field lab where their technician, “Frew,” develops the most exciting and experimental lots in their assortment, including the unique Danche Hydro Honey.
​The coffee itself originates from the high-altitude farms of 810 small-scale growers in the villages of Danche and Kubi. Here, at around 2,100 meters above sea level, classic Ethiopian Heirloom varieties thrive in rich, fertile red soil within a semi-forested environment.
​The “Hydro-Honey” technique is a testament to the station’s pioneering spirit. The process begins with uncompromising selection: only cherries with a high sugar content (a BRIX score over 20) are chosen. After a brief 48-hour drying period on shaded beds, the method takes an extraordinary twist. The cherries are placed into fermentation barrels that have been washed and then smoked with olive tree trunks and honey scum, adding a unique aromatic foundation.
​From there, the cherries undergo a precise, 96-hour, multi-stage fermentation—first for 48 hours with oxygen, and then submerged for another 48 hours without. To complete the transformation, the coffee is dried slowly as a full cherry in the shade for about 25 days, a final, patient step to lock in the complex character developed through this remarkable process.